RAPID PROTOTYPING AND RAPID TOOLING

Since the early 1990s, increasing productivity has been a major emphasis for businesses throughout the world. The manufacturing sector has sought to boost productivity by increasing the use of computerised automation in production. Recent developments in technology include Rapid Prototyping Technologies, also known as Solid Freeform Fabrication, Desktop Manufacturing, and Layer Manufacturing Technologies. The fundamental shift in manufacturing processes and management calls for full integration of computer-controlled systems. Computers monitor and regulate every step of production in this facility, from product design through manufacture, assembly, and inspection. Since the 1960s, CAD/CAM software has been developed to aid in the design process of manufactured goods. In light of this promising future, companies and universities throughout the world have set up RP research centres to work on this cutting-edge technology and to teach additional engineers in the field. Therefore, a suitable textbook is needed as a starting point for creating an RP curriculum. The goal of this book is to serve as a primer on RP’s foundational concepts and practical uses. In it, the author discusses the fundamentals of each RP technology and chronicles the history of RP’s iii evolution within the field of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. This book’s integration of multimedia to aid in comprehension of the method is a major selling point. The accompanying CD has animated explanations of how common RP methods including Stereolithography, Solid Ground Curing, Laminated Object Manufacturing, Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective Laser Sintering, and Three- Dimensional Printing operate.